Rotary printing press for production of multiple center spread signatures

Abstract

Several printing units are arranged in a row for printing on as many separate webs traveling in centerline alignment and in phase with one another. At least one preselected web, on issuing from one printing unit, is directed over an angled guide rod thereby to be turned 90 degrees out of phase with the other, unselected webs. Subsequently traveling over a triangular shaped former, the preselected web is folded along a centerline thereof, back into phase with the unselected webs. The preselected web, already formed, and the unselected ones, yet unfolded, are then all superposed one upon another, with the fold of the preselected web in register with the aligned centerline of the unselected webs. The superposed webs are then folded by another former along the aligned centerline of the unselected webs. Subsequently fed into a cutting and folding device, the webs are cut and folded transversely into individual multiple-page signatures each having one center spread in addition to the usual inmost center spread. The additional center spread may be inserted between any two pages on either side of the centerline folds of each signature. Additional embodiments are disclosed for creating two or three additional center spreads.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A web-fed rotary printing press capable of producing signatures each having a predetermined number of pages including a plurality of center spreads, comprising: 
       (a) a plurality of printing units for printing on separate webs of paper or like printable material traveling in centerline alignment and in phase with one another;  
       (b) angle guide means for turning a preselected web, which has been printed in one of the printing units, 90 degrees out of phase with the other, unselected webs;  
       (c) at least one preselected web former disposed downstream of the angle guide means with respect to a traveling direction of the preselected web for folding the preselected web along a centerline thereof, back into phase with the unselected webs;  
       (d) means for superposing the preselected web, which has been folded by the preselected web former, and the unselected webs, which have bypassed the angle guide means and the preselected web former, one upon another, with the fold of the preselected web in register with the aligned centerline of the unselected webs;  
       (e) an unselected web former disposed downstream of the superposing means with respect to a traveling direction of the superposed webs and displaced 90 degrees out of phase with the preselected web former for folding the superposed webs along the aligned centerline of the unselected webs; and  
       (f) means disposed downstream of the unselected web former for transversely cutting the folded webs into individual multiple-page signatures each having at least two center spreads.  
     
     
       2. The rotary printing press of claim  1  further comprising lead-in guide means for permitting any of the webs that have been printed by the printing units to be fed to the angle guide means as a preselected web and for guiding the unselected webs around the angle guide means and the preselected web former and directly to the superposing means, whereby at least one center spread can be placed between any desired pages on one side of centerline folds of each signature. 
     
     
       3. The rotary printing press of claim  1  wherein the angle guide means is angularly displaceable for turning the preselected web 90 degrees out of phase with the unselected webs in either of two opposite directions, and wherein the preselected web former is angularly displaceable for folding the preselected web along the centerline thereof regardless of which direction the preselected web has been turned in by the angle guide means, whereby at least one center spread can be placed on either side of centerline folds of each signature. 
     
     
       4. A web-fed rotary printing press capable of producing signatures each having a predetermined number of pages including a plurality of center spreads, comprising: 
       (a) a plurality of printing units for printing on separate webs of paper or like printable material traveling in centerline alignment and in phase with one another;  
       (b) at least two angle guide means each for turning one preselected web, which has been printed in one of the printing units, 90 degrees out of phase with unselected webs;  
       (c) at least two preselected web formers each disposed downstream of one angle guide means with respect to a traveling direction of one preselected web for folding one preselected web along a centerline thereof, back into phase with the unselected webs;  
       (d) means for superposing the preselected webs, which have been folded by the preselected web formers, and the unselected webs, which have bypassed the angle guide means and the preselected web formers, one upon another, with the folds of the preselected webs in register with the aligned centerline of the unselected webs;  
       (e) an unselected web former disposed downstream of the superposing means with respect to a traveling direction of the superposed webs and displaced 90 degrees out of phase with the preselected web formers for folding the superposed webs along the aligned centerline of the unselected webs; and  
       (f) means disposed downstream of the unselected web former for transversely cutting the folded webs into individual multiple-page signatures each having at least three center spreads.  
     
     
       5. The rotary printing press of claim  4  wherein the two angle guide means and the two preselected web formers are oriented in the same direction, whereby two center spreads are created on the same side of centerline folds of each signature. 
     
     
       6. The rotary printing press of claim  5  further comprising lead-in guide means for permitting any two of the webs that have been printed by the printing units to be fed to the respective angle guide means as preselected webs and for guiding the unselected webs around the angle guide means and the preselected web formers and directly to the superposing means, whereby two center spreads can be placed between any desired pages, either consecutively or individually, on one side of centerline folds of each signature. 
     
     
       7. The rotary printing press of claim  4  wherein the two angle guide means and the two preselected web formers are oriented in opposite directions, whereby two center spreads are created on opposite sides of centerline folds of each signature. 
     
     
       8. The rotary printing press of claim  7  further comprising lead-in guide means for permitting any two of the webs that have been printed by the printing units to be fed to the respective angle guide means as preselected webs and for guiding the unselected webs around the angle guide means and the preselected web formers and directly to the superposing means, whereby two center spreads can be placed between any desired pages on opposite sides of centerline folds of each signature. 
     
     
       9. A web-fed rotary printing press capable of producing signatures each having a predetermined number of pages including a plurality of center spreads, comprising: 
       (a) a plurality of printing units for printing on separate webs of paper or like printable material traveling in centerline alignment and in phase with one another;  
       (b) first angle guide means for turning a first preselected web, which has been printed in one of the printing units, 90 degrees out of phase with unselected webs;  
       (c) second angle guide means for turning a second preselected web, which has been printed in another of the printing units, 90 degrees out of phase with unselected webs;  
       (d) third angle guide means for turning a third preselected web, which has been printed in still another of the printing units, 90 degrees out of phase with unselected webs;  
       (e) a first preselected web former disposed downstream of the first angle guide means with respect to a traveling direction of the first preselected web for folding the first preselected web along a centerline thereof, back into phase with the unselected webs;  
       (f) a second preselected web former disposed downstream of the second angle guide means with respect to a traveling direction of the second preselected web for folding the second preselected web along a centerline thereof, back into phase with the unselected webs;  
       (g) a third preselected web former disposed downstream of the third angle guide means with respect to a traveling direction of the third preselected web for folding the third preselected web along a centerline thereof, back into phase with the unselected webs;  
       (h) means for superposing the first to third preselected webs, which have been folded by the first to third preselected web formers, and the unselected webs, which have bypassed all the angle guide means and all the preselected web formers, one upon another, with the folds of the preselected webs in register with the aligned centerline of the unselected webs;  
       (i) an unselected web former disposed downstream of the superposing means with respect to a traveling direction of the superposed webs and displaced 90 degrees out of phase with each preselected web former for folding the superposed webs along the aligned centerline of the unselected webs; and  
       (j) means disposed downstream of the unselected web former for transversely cutting the folded webs into individual multiple-page signatures each having at least four center spreads;  
       (k) at least one of the three angle guide means and at least one of the three preselected web formers are oriented in a direction opposite to the orientation of the other angle guide means and the other preselected web formers, whereby at least one center spread is created on one side, and two other center spreads on the other side, of centerline folds of each signature.  
     
     
       10. The rotary printing press of claim  9  further comprising lead-in guide means for permitting any three of the webs that have been printed by the printing units to be fed interchangeably to the three angle guide means as preselected webs and for guiding the unselected webs around the angle guide means and the preselected web formers and directly to the superposing means, whereby two center spreads can be placed between any desired pages, either consecutively or individually, on one side of the centerline folds of each signature, and one other center spread between any desired pages on the other side of the centerline folds of each signature.